Amanda Takes Off...

Friday night our boss took us all out to dinner, where we had Korean barbecue with soju, the drink of Korea. Soju tastes like sweet apple cider, to me. The kimchi was aged kimchi. Our boss told us it was special kimchi, 2-3 years old and I started to worry. Few foods taste good aged. But it was actually quite palatable.

After dinner we went to a noribang (song room) which is the Korean version of kareoke (but don't dare to use a Japanese word as such). Unlike similar places back home, where there's a bar full of people getting ready to laugh at you, here there is a small room and you sing in front of the people you came with. Like, for example, the man who signs your paycheck.

Ali and I sang "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" together.

Saturday our recruiter took us out to Yongsan Electronics Market which is several thousand electronics stores in one place. It's overwhelming. I bought a headset to be able to make Skype calls.

We then went to Insa-dong, which is a artsy-craftsy area of town. I bought some stationary and a wallet and coin purse. "Yes, yes, made in Korea" says the seller; at home I found a "Made in China" tag inside of the coin purse. We had Italian for lunch (NO KIMCHI!), are some candy from a street vendor and drank some tea.

We wandered down to Gyeongbokgung (The Palace of Shining Happiness) and arrived just a little too late to really get to explore the grounds. Police were milling about, as there are anti-Free Trade Agreement protests going on right now. It was at the palace that it finally hit me: I am living in South Korea for at least a year.

We wandered back through Insa-dong again, where I found this lovely wall.

We eventually found our way home and I tested Skype. It works! So feel free to call me at my Minnesota-based phone number. (Email me if you need it.)

Last night I met Scott's friend Michael, a very nice man, and had dinner at his place with some of his friends. Good food, great company. I'm happy Scott put us in touch.

Tonight I have Tae Kwon Do, but I may require a quick nap before then. I got more sleep last night than I have in a long time, but still I am beat.